Brand America’s share of global FDI inflow investment has been declining over time. This is an indication that other markets are perceived by capital investors as representing a better potential for return on investment. In an interdependent global economy, this trend will translate into a weakened American economy and a shift in global business competitiveness from Brand America to other trading blocks around the world.

While there are a number of reasons for this negative trend, one of the reasons has been the lack of available data to assess the trend below the national level. As the saying goes, “You get what you measure”. In this case, States have not made improving attractiveness and overall competitiveness for FDI inflow attraction a priority in their economic development plans because there has not been a reliable set of published data to evaluate state level performance.